Transmission line



Aug. 19, 1930. A. o. AUSTIN TRANSMISSION LINE Filed April 2, 1928Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE Aa'rnun o. us'rnr,or NEAR BAEBER'ION, onro, Assmiv'on, BY nasim Assremn'rs, 'ro T m 0310BRASS COMPANY, or MANSFIELD, 01110, A CORPORATION or new JERSEYTRANSMISSION LINE Application filed April 2, 1928. Serial No. 268,584.

This invention relatestc electrical transmission lines and has for oneof its ob'ects the provision of means for reducing vi rations insupported strands or conductors. A further object is to provide acombined damping device andflux cage to damp vibrations in the linewithout increasing the tendency toward electrical discharge from theline. A furt-her object is to provide an a paratus of the class namedwhich shall be 0 Improved construc'tion and operation. Other ob'ects andadvantages are apparent from the. ollowing description. I

The .invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangementof partsshown in the accompanying drawings and described in the followingspecification, and'is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclalms.

In the drawings: I

Fig. leis a vertical sectional view of one form of the resent inventionapplied to a transmission 'ne.

Fi 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 showing a modified form of theinvention.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing another form of theinvention.

separation. As the tension lncreases, trouble from vibration, whichtends to destroy the conductor or attachments, seems to increase. Thetension, mass and size of the conductor are apparently factors insetting up this vibration. In some cases, the conductor has beenseriously damaged in a comparatively short time due tothis vibration.The vibra tion, in general, is in a vertical direction and is apparentlycaused by the actioxrof wind upon-the conductor;

The amount of energy maintaining'the vibration is usually very small.

7 Therefore, I any slight absorption of energy produced by theoscillation or vibration of the conductor will sufiice to dampen it outor maintain it within safe bounds. While it is possible that a chan e ofmass in the conductor may change the oscillation materially, the onlysure means of limiting an oscillation is through an ab- 'sorption ofenergy. If, therefore, any atever, any change in the size of theconductor usually results in a much lower flash-over voltage due toconcentration of electrostatic stress upon the projecting parts. 'In

present invention, it is desired not only to absorb. energy due tovibration but also to prevent the vibration damper or absorber" fromlowering the flash-over voltage.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 15 designatesthe conductor ot a high voltage transmission line having bearing membersor sleeves -16 fixed thereto in any suitable manner. The sleeve 16 maybe parted longitudinally and clamped'to the conductor by. bolts or othersuitable means. Suspension brackets 17 are hung upon the sleeves 16 andare free to rotate thereon so that the supporting ears of thebracket 17will swing downwardly at all times.

Secured to the bracket 17 by pins 18, or other suitable fasteningdevice, is a container 19. This container may be in the form of a hollowcylinder and within the cylinder are loose particles 20. The materialwithin the container may vary widely without materially effecting theoperation of the device. This material may be sand, shot, marbles, smallstones or ravel, a viscous or other liquid, loose particles immersed inliquid or other loose material such thatit will offer frictionalresistance to vibration of the container. It will be seen that if theline 15 is vibrated the container 19 will he vibrated inunison'therewith and-the particles 20, be-

cause of their inertia, will tend to remain in their fixed position andwill be rubbed together so that the friction produced in the particlesby vibration of the container, will absorb the energy of such vibrationsand thus damp out the vibrations.

Extending alongthe line 15 and enclosing the container 19 and itssupports is a conductor or flux cage 21. This cage may be made of wovenwire, expanded metal or other suitable material and serves to increasethe effective diameter of the conductor 15 and prevents concentration ofelectrostatic flux which would otherwise be produced by the projectionson the line formed by the vibration damper. The construction and opera-'tion of the flux cage is more completely described and claimed in myprior Patent N umber 1,664,100 dated March 27, 1928.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 a single sleeve 22 issecured to the conductor 15 and a bracket 23 is suspended from thesleeve 22 and is free to rotate about the axis of the conductor. Arms 24are pivotally mounted on a pin 25 carried by the bracket 23. The arms 24are provided with friction discs 26 which "resist pivotal movementthereofabout the pin 25. Springs 27 support the arms so that they arepoised in an extended position and free to move about the pin 25 exceptfor the frictional resistance offered 'bythe discs 26. Weights 28 arecarried on the ends of the arms at and the inertia of these weightstends to hold the arms 24 stationary when the conductor 15 is vibratedvertically. This will cause relative movement of the arms 24: abouttheir pivots so that the friction between the discs 26 will absorb theenergy of vibration and thus damp out the vibrations of the conductonThe bracket 23, arms 2-1 and associated parts are enclosed in aconductor cage 21 inthe same manner as the damping device of Fig. 1.

In the form ,of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a sleeve 29 ismounted on the conductor- 15 and a yoke 30 is mounted on the sleeve 29.Flanges 31 prevent longitudinal movement of the yoke v30 but the yoke isprovided with a rectangular'opening 32 which permits the sleeve 29 andconductor 15 to move vertically relative to the yoke. Balls or otherweights 33 are mounted on the up.-

per and lower ends of the yoketo increasethe inertia of the yoke. Thelower ball is preferably. made heavier than the'upper hall or spacedfurther from the line 15-so that the yoke will remain in uprightposition. Secured to the yoke 30 and extending therefrom along theconductor 15 are springs 34. A pair of collars 35 is mounted on theconductor 15 at points spacedoutwardly from the sleeve 29 and the endsof the springs 34 bear against the collars 35 and against one anothersothat any relative movement of the conductor and .yokewill cause the endsof the springs to rub upon one another and upon the pair of collars 35to damp out vibration of the conductor by absorbing the energy of suchvibration.

The yoke 30 and the balls 33 are floated by the springs 34 upon theconductor so that the conductor moves readily relative to the yoke,except for the frictional resistance offered by the contact at the endsof the springs 34.

I claim 1. The combination with a transmission line, of means fordamping vibrations of said line, and a cage enclosing said damping meansto control the electrostatic field about said damping means.

2. The combination with a transmission line, of a member mounted on saidline for absorbing energy of vibration of said line, and a conductorcage enclosing said member to control the electrostatic field about saidmember.

3. The combination with a transmission line, of a frictional device forabsorbing energy of vibration of said line, and a, conductor cageenclosing said friction device.

4.. The combination with a transmission line, of a mass supported bysaid line and floated thereon to permit relative movement of said massand line, means for absorbing energy when said mass and-line arerelatively moved, and a conductor cage electrical: 1y connected withsaid line and surrounding said mass.

5. The combination with a transmission line, of a mass suspended fromsaid line and mounted to move about the axis of said line, said massbeing floated to move relative to said line, frictional means forabsorbing energy when said line and mass are moved relative to eachother, and a conductor cage electrically connected with said line andenclosing'said mass.

6. The combination with a transmission line, of a receptacle havingrigid walls secured to said line, and a movable mass dis,- posed withinsaid receptacle and only partially filling the same for frictionallyabsorbing energy of vibration of said line.

7. The combination with a transmisssion line, of a receptacle havingrigid walls sus pended from said line and free to move about the axisthereof and loose particles disposed within said receptacle and onlypartially filling the same for frictionally absorbing en ergy ofvibration of said line.

8. The combination with a transmission line, of an elongated receptaclemounted on said line and extending in the direction of the lengththereof, and loose particles disposed within said receptacle forfrictionally absorbing energy of vibration of said line.

9. The combination with a transmission lme,'0f a receptacle mounted-onsaid line,

